Product ReviewsApple iPod mini 2nd Generation Silver (4 GB)

Not bad at all

Needed a small MP4 player and didn't want to pay a lot. Wanted to upgrade from the old shuffles I'd been using for a decade, so I bought this. The storage is decent (decent for hikes and workouts; not for, say, a very long car ride) and it took a minute to master using the controls without the directions...but that's what Google is for. What really impresses me is the battery life. It lasts days and days without a charge. The charger for my first-generation iPad worked fine for this and also connected it to my computer. Definitely what I wanted. Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: tsirus4

I got the package and charged to full battery when it was done charging I went to use it and it died within 1 minute of a song and does not hold a cha

I got the package and charged to full battery when it was done charging I went to use it and it died within 1 minute of a song and does not hold a charge

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: laroquee

Overall fits my needs- a simple mp3 player w/ a screen.

Took a few minutes to figure out how to use it since the only ipod id ever used was the Shuffle I've had for several years. But once I figured out this whole "click-wheel" thing it was pretty easy. Did have to go online to find out how to turn the thing off since there isn't an actual power switch/button. Overall it fits the bill. I jus wanted a simple mp3 player w/ a screen so I can see what songs playing (which is the only issue I had w/ the Shuffle is the lack of a screen). Did come w/ a couple games preloaded but i'll likely never play them. Didn't want something with a ton of bells and whistles (like all the apps n whatnot- that's what I have a smartphone for lol). Overall pretty happy. Just wish ipod and windows media player would work together because I'm not a big fan of itunes for sure. (tho there is a program you can d/l and/or purchase to make them play nice I found out, so I'm using that and it's much better!)Read full review...

Great!

Good product.

The Apple iPod mini, Apple's smallest MP3 player at the time of introduction, features a 4 GB hard drive in a compact 3.6 by 2.0 by 0.5 inch lightweight anodized aluminum case -- available in silver, gold, pink, blue, and green -- with a 1.67 inch (diagonal) grayscale LCD display with LED backlight. Apple advertised that it was capable of holding approximately 1,000 songs encoded in "128-Kbps AAC format".

Perhaps most notably, for navigation, the iPod mini introduced the revolutionary "ClickWheel" which places pressure sensitive navigation buttons underneath the scroll wheel. The iPod mini features a voice recorder feature, games, and an alarm clock, as well as a wired remote, a "dock" for quick-and-easy connection to a computer -- Firewire for Macs and USB 2.0 for Windows -- and audio out for connection to a stereo or powered speakers.

Battery life is estimated at eight hours of music playback and it provides 25 minutes of skip protection.Read full review...

Problems come purchasing an old model, however still a worthwhile buy :D

My item was purchased 2nd hand knowing the battery life was unknown due to no recent use, and would likely not be super as the iPod is an old model, hence super cheap price.
The battery life is poor but as stated above it is an older model and wasn't used recently, however I made the purchase willingly as I was seeking a small iPod that had a screen so it would be easy to carry during exercise and so I could see what songs were being played - hence an "iPod Mini" was recommended to me, as the "iPod Shuffle" is small but has no screen.
I can't compare to other products as I have never had an iPod before.
If purchasing an older model like this one, be aware that the battery life won't be fantastic, and it is difficult to find accessories compatible with it (iPod Mini).
In saying that, it works well and I'm very happy I purchased it :)Read full review...

Worked Great, Very Happy

Bought this to upgrade with larger flash storage and I'm not disappointed, I know at some point I'll probably hit the track limit but threw in a CF to SD card adapter and I'm sitting on a 256 GB iPod Mini with a new battery that's been working grat for about a week.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: irestore

Apple iPod mini second generation - used.

I was perfectly happy with the first generation ipod shuffle that i purchased years ago but the headphone jack shorts out on the left side so I decided to spend about 54 dollars for this used second generation ipod mini. The sound quality is superior on the mini, and the capacity is ideal for my purposes, but the battery life is disappointing. I'm used to playing my ipod shuffle for hours (days) without having to think about losing power - not so with the mini. Granted, I can now see the song titles and artist on the mini - not so with the shuffle. All in all, I'm satisfied with this purchase but have picked up a travel charger and one of these days will most likely pick up a new ipod that has better battery performance.Read full review...

Great stuff for the price, fast shipping.

Hi, this is (believe me) my first personal experience with an ipod, althouth my kids had every products. But I resist till now. Anyway is cheap so I need a portable memory for my podcasts and 4Giga would be fine. So I bought and a week after I received the above ipod in perfect condition, looks new and after a help from my 12 years kid is start to work fine. A little trick: When battery runs low the ipod was freeze, until recharge, almost a friend destroy it thinking was another thing a try to start by hiting to a table. Otherwise you get what you pay for but I recomend the product if you need an iPod and you can live with limited memory.Read full review...

Apple raises the bar again with the new iPod mini

I was lucky enough to get one of these literally 5 minutes before the store sold out. I have the 6gb version, which is identical to this one except for the capacity (and the price - it was $50 more than this 4gb version). I also have a 40gb 4th generation iPod, an iPod shuffle, and I have owned and used MP3 players by Creative and iRiver.

The new "2nd generation" iPod mini builds on the strengths that made the original mini a blockbuster best-seller: easy to learn, easy to use, elegant user interface, immensely usable "click-wheel," and outstanding sound quality. Since the original mini was introduced a year ago, some competitors appeared that offered higher capacity, better battery life, and lower price. This new iPod mini answers the competition with some important improvements which make it a compelling choice over the competition:

1) Battery life is now 18 hours instead of 8 hours for the first generation mini.

2) The 2nd generation mini is cheaper: the original mini was $250 for 4 gigabytes of storage, which holds up to 1000 songs. The new mini is $200 for 4 gigabytes, or you can pay $250 for 6 gigabytes (up to 1500 songs). To achieve this price drop, though, Apple no longer includes a dock or charger - these are available separately, but you can live without them just fine. For example, the battery charges whenever the mini is plugged into your computer's USB port.

In addition to these improvements, there is a minor cosmetic difference, concerning the color choices: gold is no longer an option (it was the worst seller in the original mini), and the other colors are now a bit brighter.

The iPod mini comes with iTunes software to help you organize the music on your iPod, and to transfer music from your CD collection to your player. If you wish, you can use the iTunes software to purchase music from Apple's online store and download them directly to your iPod, but the software absolutely does not push you to do so.

The mini also comes with the same earbuds that accompany every other iPod. They are better than the headphones that come with most MP3 players, but you'll probably want to consider replacing them with something a bit nicer.

Like its predecessor, the build quality of the new iPod mini is excellent, very sturdy, just like all iPods. My 40gb iPod has taken a lot of abuse and has held up extremely well. Plus, I did a fair amount of research on the original mini and it has held up well since it was introduced. So I fully expect that my new iPod mini will last a long time.

I also considered the Creative Zen Micro, the Dell Pocket DJ and the Rio Carbon, which seem to be the closest competitors to the mini. They have more features than the iPod mini, but are not as elegantly designed and their build quality feels a little cheaper than the mini. Plus, as a previous owner of other iPods, I already have a lot of music in Apple's AAC format, which these other players cannot deal with.Read full review...

great, durable iPod design with fantastic battery life

This 2nd generation iPod mini has up to 16 hours of continuous playtime and the batteries don't need to be replaced as often. The design is ultra-compact, and a bit more durable than the newer cousin, the iPod 'nano'.

The 4GB holds 1000 songs, which is the same as the higher-end nano and you can get the mini for a lot less cash.

The only downside, they don't have color screens for photos and such, but that's not too important for me anyway.Read full review...

Ipod mini - Its a sure Winner!

But it's not just about looks - the iPod Mini sounds fantastic. After comparing it with my third-generation iPod, tracks definitely sounded clearer on the iPod Mini, as if it were capable of better frequency response. By comparison the 3G iPod sounded positively muffled. A sign of PortalPlayer's enhanced audio chip, perhaps.

The Mini's packaging is as lovely as ever. The box lid slides off to reveal the mini wrapped in plastic. The box underneath is split in two halves - one for the install discs and one for the headphones, USB cable and a belt holster. As with all the new iPods there's no Firewire cable, no dock, no remote - but they are available as optional extras. There's no AC adaptor either, so you can only charge when connected to the PC.

There are other missing features that might give pause for thought, such as a radio, recording function and microphone. But if it's just a player you want these absences won't be noticed. For me the only reason I wouldn't want one is that I do want to carry my entire music collection around with me. Or at least more of it than I could fit on a 6GB drive.

One day of course, a 20GB iPod will be this size, but for now six gigs is your limit. At this capacity it no longer loses out to the Zen Micro and H10, but while Creative and iRiver have both worked hard on improving the look and usability of their players, the Mini is still miles ahead. With its rounded sides and neat click-wheel interface, it feels right in you hand and is easy to control and use too.

Verdict
With the new iPod Mini, Apple has increased its capacity by a 50 per cent, battery-life by one-and-a-quarter times and improved sound quality. It's a pretty impressive triple whammy and as long as its capacity is large enough for you, the iPod Mini would be our recommended digital audio player.

jamieday83Read full review...